When a recruiter called last year about a position as a mechanic in British Columbia, Paul Thomas said he could hardly believe it. Thomass annual income had dropped to $40,000 a year from $100,000 as business slowed at the Atlanta auto dealership where he worked. Hed filed for bankruptcy, his house was in foreclosure and other jobs were hard to find even with his resume posted online.

Only problem: The cost of living in Canada makes coastal California look cheap. Whereas a knock-down shack in Silicon Valley might be 700k, the same in Vancouver would be well north of a million. Also- you don't exactly move to Canada for the weather...